Cultural relics are the witnesses of history, and represent mankind's precious cultural treasures. The loss of cultural relics causes a gap in the study of history. It is therefore of vital importance that cultural relics, regardless of where these are located in different parts of the world, must be protected and preserved, and hopefully be rescued from overseas where they may end up in the hands of collectors or museums, or in some cases, where these have been stolen or smuggled.

Relics are heritages witnessing the course of human development. In general, relics refer to physical objects and items from the past, which carry with them historical, artistic or scientific significance, and are thus representative of the era and areas where these are found. Common examples are scripts, artifacts of different stones and materials, ruins of ancient dwellings, human skeletons, musical instruments, utensils, ancient architecture, tombs, and carvings. They are legacies witnessing the course and evolution of human development. Various types of relics reflected people's socio-economic activities, interpersonal relationships and cognition at different times in history, revealing how they interacted with their living environments. They represent a precious aspect of cultural heritage to the world.